Free Will Astrology

Free Will Astrology for the Week of Aug. 8

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Apollo astronaut Russell Schweickart had a vision of loveliness while flying through outer space in his lunar module. "One of the most beautiful sights is a urine dump at sunset," he testified. He said it resembles a "spray of sparklers," as ten million little ice crystals shoot out into the void at high velocity. As you feed your quest for a lusty life, Aries, I urge you to be as quirky and resourceful as Schweickart. Come up with your own definitions about what's gorgeous and revelatory. Take epiphanies any way you can get them.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): At the heart of this horoscope is a quote from Maya Angelou. While it may seem schmaltzy, I assure you that its counsel will be essential to your success in the coming weeks. "I've learned that people will forget what you said," said Angelou, "people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Can you see how valuable this principle might be for you, Taurus? If you hope to get what you desire, you should turn your empathy on full blast. If you'd like to supercharge your vitality, hone your skills as a judge of character. If you want to get the love you think you deserve, be a master at making people feel good in your presence.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The coming week will be prime time to celebrate your eccentricities and cultivate your idiosyncrasies. Do you like ketchup on your bananas? Is heavy metal the music you can best relax to? Do you have a tendency to break out in raucous laughter when people brag about themselves? I really think you should make note of all the qualities that make you odd or unique, and express those qualities with extra intensity. That may grate on some people, true, but it should have a potent healing effect on you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are my questions: Will you thrust your foot across that imaginary line, or will you back away from it, scouting around for an escape route? Will you risk causing a commotion in order to scratch the itch in your ambition? Or will you shuffle on back to your comfort zone and caress your perfect daydreams? Personally, Cancerian, I'm hoping you will elect to do what's a bit unsettling. But that doesn't necessarily mean you should. If you make a bold move, make sure you're not angling to please or impress me—or anyone else, for that matter. Do it as a way to express your respect for yourself—or don't do it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): When Tchaikovsky wrote the musical score for his famous 1812 Overture, it included 16 cannon shots. Literally. These blasts weren't supposed to be made by, say, a sledgehammer pounded against a wooden mallet, but rather by the detonation of an actual cannon. As crazy as that is, you've got to admire Tchaikovsky's creative gall. He was going way out of the box, calling on a source of sound no other composer had ever done. In accordance with the astrological omens, I invite you to be inspired by his example, Leo. In your own chosen field, mess with the rules about how to play in your chosen field.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "And if nothing is repeated in the same way," says poet Antonio Porchia, "all things are last things." That's a good principle to adapt for your own purposes, Virgo. A few weeks from now, I bet you'll be enmeshed in an orgy of novelty, creating yourself from scratch and exploring experiences you've never heard of before. But in the meantime, as you bring this cycle to a close, be equally inventive about how you finish things off. Don't imitate the approach you used in tying up loose ends in the past. Don't put stale, boring karma to rest in stale, boring ways. Nothing repeated! All things last things!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): All of us feel bad sometimes—sad, discouraged, helpless, unloved and all the rest. It's a natural part of being human. Here's the good news: I am not predicting you will go through a phase like that anytime soon. Here's the even better news: The coming week will be an excellent time to come up with effective strategies for what to do in the future when you go through a rough period. For example, instead of wallowing in self-pity or berating yourself for your weakness, maybe you can resolve, next time, to amble aimlessly out in nature, dance to cathartic music for three hours or go to the gym and smack around a punching bag.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): When a domesticated weasel captures some treasure or beats out a competitor for food, it performs a celebratory dance that's referred to as the "weasel war dance." During this triumphant display, it might hiss, arch its back, fluff out its tail and hop around madly. I encourage you to come up with your own private version of this ritual, Scorpio. It can be more dignified if you like: snapping your fingers, singing a magical phrase or raising your arms in a V-for-victory gesture. Whatever you choose, do it after every accomplishment, no matter how small: buying groceries, arriving at an appointment on time, getting a good new idea or any other success.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): One out of every four of us is afraid that we have missed our calling—that we have misread our soul's code and failed to identify the labor of love that would provide our ultimate fuel for living. If you're among this deprived group, I have good news: The next six weeks will be an excellent time to fix the problem—to leave the niche where you don't belong and go off to create a new power spot. And if you are among the 75 percent of us who are confident you've found your vocation, the next six weeks will be prime time to boost your efforts to a higher level.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You can take this as a metaphor if you like, but I'm getting a psychic impression that you will soon be drawing on the energy of one of your past lives. Will it be a 13th-century Chinese lute player or a kitchen maid from 15th-century France? Will you be high on the vitality you had when you were a Yoruba priest living in West Africa 300 years ago or when you were a 16th-century Guarani herbalist in what's now Paraguay? I invite you to play with fantasies like these, even if you don't believe they're literally true. You might be surprised at the boost you get from imagining yourself alive in a different body and historical era.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Italian mattress company Sogniflex has created a bed with features designed to facilitate love-making. It has straps and handles, plus a trench that helps you get better traction. The extra-strong springs produce an exceptional bouncing action. You might consider buying one for yourself. The astrological omens suggest it's time to play with more intensity in the intimate clinches. You could also try these things: 1) Upgrade your licking and sucking skills. 2) Cultivate your ability to listen receptively. 3) Deepen your sincere appreciation for what's beautiful about anyone you're attracted to. 4) Make yourself even more lovable than you already are.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My $10-an-hour counsel only requires a few seconds to deliver. Here it is: "Never try to be someone you're not. Discover what you were made for, and do it with all of your passionate intensity." On the other hand, Pisces, my $100-a-minute wisdom is more complicated, subtle and hard to impart in less than an hour of storytelling. Here's a hint of it: There are times when you can get interesting and even brilliant results by experimenting with being something you're not. Going against the flow of your instinctual urges and customary tendencies might tweak you in just the right way—giving you an exotic grace and wild depth when you ultimately return to the path you were born to tread.

Homework: If you could change your astrological sign, what would you change it to and why? Write: freewillastrology.com.

Go to realastrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at (877) 873-4888 or (900) 950-7700.